A Beautiful Day
by Wedjatqi
Summary: A bright beautiful day on Atlantis and everyone is out enjoying the sunshine, which allows things to heat up a little between John and Teyla.


**Disclaimers**: I own no part of the Stargate world, I make no money from this and I wish that I could make money from having such fun.

**Spoilers: **Set after S5, Atlantis still on Earth.

**Note: **My writers block continues, as does a busy life, but this story idea arrived one evening.

**Note2: **Remember to always sunbathe responsibly! Health notice over :)

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The sunshine was strong and bright, sparkling off the water and the beautiful colours of the ancient city.

The breeze carried her hair back from her face, dancing the strands around her shoulders. She stretched her neck and shoulders a little further to shrug her wide necked thin shirt further away from her shoulders, allowing the tickling of her hair against her skin.

She breathed in the scent of the air, full of the best of the ocean, but not its chill this day.

Above, stretching out in all directions, groups of clouds drifted across the sky, occasionally reducing the sun's intensity and then allowing it through with dazzling brightness.

She turned her face up towards the latest brightness, enjoying the sun on her skin. The breeze cooled her, teasing over her bared shoulders, forearms and her legs parted through her thin flowing skirt. The collection of umbrellas and shorter structures along the pier provided patches of shade into which to shelter as needed, but for now she simply enjoyed the sun fully upon her.

Today there were no responsibilities. Torren was with his father across the city, and no longer was she plagued with the lingering doubts and sadness of her separation from Kanaan. Those darker days following their decision had passed, allowing her greater hindsight into her past decisions and the truth of her heart. The pain was passed and the choice to part felt right.

Today all that was unimportant, as it had become these past weeks. The city's Gate was inactive to allow Earth's Gate precedence, and with that a new routine within Atlantis. A routine which now included the splendour of the Earth 'weekend' through which the majority of the city could rest and restore oneself for the rest of the week.

Laughter and conversation filled the air along the pier, as most of those from the city enjoyed their freedom to embrace the day's glorious sunshine and, for most, that it was their home sun under which they basked only made them more joyful.

Splashes of water nearby heralded the return of those she had been sharing the day beside and she felt the presence of them approaching, settling back down into their seats around hers. The air actually felt cooler with the remaining ocean water over their bodies. She drew in the air, the ocean scent now stronger from the men around her.

She remained still, absorbing the warmth, the relaxation and the peace.

Clinks of glasses, of flowing cool drinks, and the scent of food in the distance drew her eyes open eventually. The barbeque, set up on the pier behind this one, sent out the magical scents into the air. She tilted her head, her eyes lazily half closed, as she shook her head at the asked suggestion to leave her seat. John's smile was wide beneath his dark sunglasses as he turned and walked away with Ronon and Rodney, towards the lure of the food across the water.

Alone for now, she shifted in her chair, turning to the table beside her which supporting a large jug of water. Her glass was still cool enough in her hand as she drank down her fill, the refreshment enlivening her slightly, so by the time the others returned she was more present of mind and the plate John placed down on the table drew her attention. He had filled the plate with a selection of what was on offer on the other pier, along with some salad. Ronon set down a new jug of water onto the table, the surface inside full to the brim with ice cubes. Behind them, still making his way down the pier, Rodney balanced his plate with a large bowl of crisps and another jug of water.

The food tasted wonderful, the flavours of the skewered vegetables and small pieces of meat had been intensified by the barbeque, and she set her elbows on the table and ate joyfully, and listened to the others talk.

The sun continued across the sky and she settled back in her seat, reclining back under the lessening heat of the sun. She lifted her shirt to bare her belly to the sun's rays and shifted her legs out from under her skirts once more. The warmth fell over her, embracing and restoring.

She fell into a very light doze, through which she could still abstractly hear those around her – the voices of those she loved, of those she barely knew further along the pier, the laughter, the new scents of food and the ocean's waves breaking against the sides of the pier.

Around her, the conversation began to lessen, the number of voices on the pier reducing as the sun began to descend and as new stronger scents from the barbeque began again, the early evening meal drawing people away. She remained still though, half asleep her face turned into shade, listening to her life around her, and her only reference to the passage of time was the gradual increasing touch of an umbrella shadow moving across her on her lounger.

Movement and voices that could have held her name brought her from the deepest of dozes to find that the shadows covered her seat completely now and that the seats around her were now empty. She glanced up, wondering who had spoken to her, to see a new plate placed down on the table beside her. John had brought more food, the late meal now. She smiled up at his offer, given without any request from her.

She sat up from her deep comfortable seat and turned to set her elbows back onto the metal table. The chill of the metal surface was more apparent now that the sun was so much lower, but as she sat forward into the last rays across the table, there was still enough warmth to be enjoyed. She settled herself right into the sunshine, the breeze catching her hair again. She reached for one of the four burgers on the plate, lifting the bun to see her normal choice of tomato sauce and lettuce. She picked it up, her hunger rising eagerly, and she bit deeply into the burger.

John sat down at small table with her, sat to her left, his former lounger chair on the far side of the table vacant. He reached forward and picked up a duplicate burger of his own from the plate.

As she ate, she looked around to see that very few peppered the length of the pier now, and those that remained were all settled on the side of the pier still within the sun's rays as she and John were. As she chewed leisurely she watched those others sleeping or eating at their own tables. A most relaxing day for all concerned and Teyla had no inclination to turn inside any time soon to end it. She had a warmer top in her bag against the evening cold when it arrived, for she planned to remain outside for as long as she wished. For now though, it was still warm enough and she began on her second burger. That there were no more on the plate than hers and John's, and that Ronon and Rodney's seats remained empty, told her that their friends had turned in for the day, having their own lives to attend to.

As she ate her burger, she turned her face from the sun and looked at John sat at the table next to her, his chair at a right angle to hers along the side of the small table. He was also sat so that he was in the sun and not in any umbrella shade, and so his sunglasses were in place, blocking his eyes from her, but she felt his gaze on her as she looked at him.

"Good?" He asked around a mouthful of his burger.

"Very good," she replied honestly, as she bit into her burger again. "Thank you."

"Anytime," he responded as he lifted the water jug and topped up her glass and then his own. "This is the way to spend a day, huh?"

She nodded as she took a sip of water, licking tomato ketchup from her lips as she finished off the last of her meal.

"Wonderful," she agreed as she licked her fingers clean and then wiped them and her mouth on a napkin, which John had also provided. She folded up the napkin and set it on the plate, John still munching on his last burger.

She sighed happily, crossed her forearms on the table and leant a little further into the sunlight.

"Didn't realise you were such a sun worshipper," John said quietly. The atmosphere seemed to require quieter tones, though she did not know why when there was no one close to them, where they sat at the furthest seats out along the pier.

She smiled as she shifted the ends of her hair off her shoulders again, the breeze dancing away the strands, so that the sun's warmth could reach the skin of her shoulders as much as possible. Many of the other women chose to wear very small outfits in which to sunbath and swim, little more than underwear, but Teyla preferred this top. The material was light, very soft and the neckline was wide enough that the tops of her shoulders could be bared, and she could push the neckline lower if she wished to catch the sun on her upper arms. The large amount of fabric to the shirt meant that it caught in the breeze and danced around her, allowing cool air to flow against her body rather than trapping in warmth with tight clothing. She had pulled back the long soft sleeves of the sleeves to bare most of her arms and the coolness of the table under them now was a sharp contrast to the warmth she had been absorbing all day.

"I have enjoyed the chance to fully relax and enjoy the warmth," she replied to John, turning her face directly towards the sun to her right.

John made a sound of agreement as he ate. Their friendship had been especially enjoyable of late as they both joined the regular group trips across to the nearby mainland that was part of John's homeland. Though with other friends on those outings, she especially enjoyed John's company among the group, as finally she was seeing for herself all those things of Earth of which he had told her about all these years. When she had first joined Atlantis, John had been her resource on all things of Earth, answering her questions and telling her of that alien world named Earth in another galaxy from her own. Now, she was here for herself, seeing all that he had told her of before. It created a wonderful sense of completion for her, to share the discoveries with John, who had introduced her to much of Earth in theory and now finally in reality.

She let her mind wander relaxed again, the only sounds around her now those of the ocean and John beside her. She heard him pick up a napkin, then the crumpling sounds of it as he added it to the plate with hers, then the clink of that plate being moved away. Another new light sound against the table was likely to be John's sunglasses being set aside. He was unusually quiet, but she felt comfortable that way with him. He did not move away from the table, back to his former more comfortable lounger chair. Instead, he remained in the patch of sun with her. She had truly enjoyed this day with him and her other friends, though in truth she had not been very social, instead taking indulgent focus in relaxing. She had enjoyed that everyone had seemed relaxed today, and she would even admit to enjoying the sight of so many partially unclothed men. John had spent some of the day with his chest bare, a rarity that had only made the day more enjoyable. He wore a partially open white shirt now, she had noticed, making his skin more noticeably tanned from today.

She opened her eyes and glanced down at her own arms. She had been careful to apply the cream to protect her from the strength of the sun's heat, though she had been careful not to overexpose her skin. She hoped Rodney had done the same with his very pale skin.

The breeze picked up slightly again as she lifted her arm, her hair dancing around her face. She watched the light hairs on her arms shift in the breeze with idly interest and decided that her skin looked fine. There was still some last sun to be enjoyed though. She pulled up her fallen sleeves a little further as she reached for her glass of water. As she sipped the liquid, she glanced at John beside her again.

He was still sat forward, like her, leant forward over his arms on the table, which meant that he was sat less than a foot away from her. It was far closer than normal and a little surprising. As was his continuing silence, as he normally tried to fill silences that went on this long with talk, but then it was only the two of them and she was sure that he was comfortable in her presence. She smiled at him and he smiled back. His eyes, bare of sunglasses, dropped a little bit and she felt her hair tickling around her chin and shoulder closest to him. She swept her hand over her shoulder pushing her hair aside. She felt a slight thrill at the sensation of his eyes there, having noticed.

"Do we know if it will be sunny tomorrow?" She asked.

"Not sure," he replied. His voice sounded relaxed and lazy.

She smiled as she looked down to her water, turning it so that the remaining small cubes of ice clicked against the glass. "Perhaps it is best not to have too many of these days," she said. She sensed his questioning look and smiled round at him. "For it makes one feel far too relaxed."

"Relaxed is good," he replied his voice soft.

"Too many of days such as this and I will want to do nothing but lie out here all day and have you bring me my food," she joked.

There was a slight beat before he replied and she glanced up from her glass again.

"I think I could manage that," he replied with a smile. "Maybe not when it rains though," he added as she smiled. "I'll send Rodney out on those days."

She let out a laughing breath, as she turned her face back towards the sun. "I hope that the rainy days hold off for some time."

"Should do for a while," he reported.

She enjoyed the sun on her face, the sounds of the world around her. She heard John move, felt his arm reach past her to the water jug once again. She could hear the gentle clinking of the last resilient ice cubes inside as he lifted the jug and she heard the water pouring out and then briefly again into her glass before her. He leant forward and she sensed him closer as he set the jug down and when he leant back he seemed to remain slightly closer than before. She thought she could feel the subtlest feel of the heat of his arm near hers.

She relaxed her shoulders and mind again, but her awareness of him did not dim into the background with everything else.

"Was Rodney alright today?" She asked him after a while, her eyes still closed and face still turned to the sun.

"He's okay, Keller was down the other end of the pier," John replied quietly.

"Perhaps they will reconcile," Teyla considered out loud.

"Maybe," John replied and she heard the ice in his glass as he drank.

John did not say anymore on the subject and she did not ask further, for she knew that the two men were close friends, and that Rodney may have confided in John. All she knew was what Rodney had told them as a group, that he and Jennifer had argued and they had spent the last two days apart. Teyla had not had the opportunity to speak with Jennifer to see if she wished to share anymore, but then the two of them were not the closest of friends, so Jennifer may not choose share with her. Teyla suspected that the others had chosen not to discuss the subject too much around her, fearing it would remind her too much of her breakup with Kanaan. It did not, though she was touched that they may worry so. She hoped that Rodney and Jennifer confided in someone though, to share and talk through what had happened, and perhaps salvage their formally very strong relationship, at least that was how it had appeared from the outside.

"She was sitting with Amelia," John added, surprising her by adding more and that he was not one to indulge in gossiping, at least not usually.

She glanced round at him. "Amelia and Ronon are alright, are they not?" She asked concerned.

"Seem good," John replied, as he sipped on more of his water. "She sat with us for a bit," he informed her.

"She did?" Teyla asked surprised.

"You were really zoned out at that point," he replied with a cheeky smile as he set down his glass, turning it in his fingers on the table.

"But not Jennifer?" She asked.

"Nope," he replied and the glass turned again, but his eyes remained on her.

She nodded her understanding. The salt-scent breeze picked up again and she turned her face away into it, rolling her shoulders to let her top further down off her shoulders, as it had ridden up somewhat. The neckline caught against the edges of her shoulders though. She shrugged her right shoulder to drop the neckline lower down her upper arm.

John's fingers touched against her other shoulder and he pulled the fabric free at her left shoulder. The touch had been very light, a helpful moment when he had seen what she wished. Yet, his fingers did not quite leave and instead the pads of his fingers slid ever so lightly down the top of her newly exposed upper arm. It was such a delicate soft touch, but all her senses focused on it, making it seem extreme and it sent the subtlest of shivers through her body. A new warmth began to glow to life inside her, which had nothing to do with the sun's remaining heat.

She opened her eyes, glancing at him beside her, to find that he was leaning even closer than she had realised. He had the point of his furthest elbow set against the tabletop and his jaw was leant against the backs of his fingers, whilst his other hand delicately retraced his touch back up her upper arm, trailing sensations behind it. She watched his eyes lift from his fingers to meet her gaze.

She had not expected this, yet… Somehow, in this moment, she realised that perhaps they had been heading towards this for some time. There had been something different about him of late, on their trips together, in his offers to babysit Torren more for her. She saw it in his eyes now, something that she had missed before or, more truthfully, had not dared to hope to be true. However, here she was, his touch light and soft against her skin, and a cautious question in his eyes. He was testing her, to see what she would do, to see if his advance would be accepted. She was surprised by how he had offered it, with such a soft touch. He looked relaxed and at ease, and only his eyes showed the truth of his concern and the enormity of this moment for them that would change things considerably.

For she was very willing to accept this advance, surprised and so very thrilled by it. It was one thing for a handsome man to make his interest known, but it was quite another when it was from a very handsome man for whom she already felt so deeply. Those emotions, which up until now she had ignored to the point of complete denial over the last two years, stirred and she felt her body respond. She would not have expected such an immediate visceral and arousing response to him, and from such a simple touch. It was the implication and simple affection to the touch that gave it its more profound weight. That this was John, a man not given to softness or overt displays, only made it all the more significant.

She looked into his eyes and, though hindered slightly by the sunlight shining over his face, she could see the sincerity she needed to see there. His fingertips ghosted back down the trail of his touch before sliding back up her arm lightly. She shifted a little, turning herself ever so slightly further towards him, increasing the pressure of his fingertips against her skin. She felt as if she had leant her way forward into an aura around him, for she felt his closeness against her and she saw his smile at her choice. His eyes lowered to her shoulder and his touch became more confident, but remained ever so gentle. His eyes lifted back up to meet hers and he smiled at her more, still a little cautiously.

She smiled in return, softly, absorbing his closeness now, the sunlight forgotten. She let out a breath, enjoying the touch, as she looked back at him. She was surprised at the relaxation she felt still, the ease with which her body enjoyed his light caress. She dropped her eyes to the open collar of his shirt, his throat and bare chest visible.

"You really caught the sun today," he uttered and she looked up to his face to see his attention on her arm. She looked down to see her top had fallen slightly lower down her arm and the difference in the shade of her skin that had been covered all day was apparent. She watched his fingertips slid along that band of slightly paler skin, the thrill returning through the relaxation.

"As have you," she replied, having noticed the tan to his arms, face and his chest.

A splash and a raised voice down the pier drew both their attentions. Teyla looked down the pier, aware that John's fingers remained on her arm, to see one of the Laney sisters stood in her uniform frowning down at her twin sister climbing out of the ocean. They were not identical twins, but they looked ever so similar. They had joined the city upon its arrival on Earth and most of the men had fallen over themselves to spend time with them since. Julie, the sister lifting herself onto the edge of the pier, was nodding to her sister and Teyla suspected that Julie had missed the start of her shift, taking over from Anna no doubt. Anna stood over her sister, looking annoyed. Teyla imagined that Anna had not appreciated having to work whilst everyone else, her sister included, had spent the day out here.

Julie stood up, towelling herself down and nodding to her sister. Julie was dressed in the Earth skimpy swimming clothes and wrapped herself up in her towel, squeezing out her long pale hair. Rodney was barely able to remember his own name around the beautiful twins. The twins were both botanists and highly respected in their field, and in the city. Julie turned with Anna and the two of them headed away, Anna gesturing, clearly still unhappy with her sister. Beyond their retreating backs, Teyla saw only a few more groups of people remained out on the pier and they were far away from her and John. They were relatively alone here, sat at the far end of the sea of now empty chairs and tables.

The breeze drifted and as she looked back towards John, her hair streamed out around her face for a moment. She reached up and tucked some of it behind one ear, and on the other side, John's fingers slid up the top of her shoulder and brushed the end of her hair from her shoulder. His touch grazed the side of her neck as he repeated the motion.

She looked up at him, his gaze lifting from her bare shoulder, and she saw the wide sparkling light in his green eyes. With the light in his face, his pupils were contracted more, the green more visible, especially sitting so close to him.

His fingers trailed across her shoulder again, as if they were leading her, she turned her face further towards him, keeping her shoulder between them, as she liked his attention there. She leant in his direction, lifting her chin slightly. She parted her lips, which felt full and sensitive. He leant towards her as well, having been reducing the distance between them already. She dropped her eyes to his lips, full and tempting as she had never seen them before.

There was a pause as they reached close enough to touch. Then they both leant further in towards each other.

Teyla tilted her head slightly, leading with her lips towards his. His warmth met her first, his face drawing so close, and she inhaled as she closed her eyes at the last moment, his lower lip brushing hers. She pressed her lips forward, pressing against his in a softly shared kiss. His lips were wonderfully warm and pressed back against hers with equal pressure.

They held the simple kiss for a prolonged second and she felt the thrill of it move through her body, and she actually curled her naked feet up against her sandals.

Their lips broke apart and she opened her eyes immediately, watching his cheek move away, his eyelashes flutter as his opened in turn. So close she saw his eyes shift, first his pupils tightening against the light and as he focused his gaze on her, she watched his pupils slide wide open.

His fingers slid down her upper back with a soft touch that still seemed as if he pulled her closer, for she leant forward again to repeat the kiss.

His lips pressed against hers, shifting ever so slightly so that her lower lip pressed up between his. The thrill of the touch repeated itself and she lost herself into the moment. The feel of his lips, his cheek faintly against hers, his fingers sliding up and down her upper back lightly. His masculine scent was so strong around her now, intensified by their closeness and the heat on his skin from the day spent in the sunlight.

As their lips parted again, he shifted his mouth against hers, brushing lips. The subtle nuzzle drew her back to his mouth and she pressed her lips open more against his upper lip. His taste became more apparent now as his lips parted enough to catch her lower one more fully this time. As she released his top lip, he held her lower one for a moment longer, pulling gently for a second before he released it. She smiled at the kiss and, as she drew back slightly further this time, she saw his smile as well.

She licked her lips, her eyes on his smile for a moment longer before she lifted her eyes up to meet his. His eyes were already trailing over her features, his gaze soft and leaving no doubt, if she had had any left, as to his enjoyment of the moment.

His fingers slid up her back, up the side of her neck under her hair and she turned her cheek into his hand as his palm reached her jaw. He leant in towards her as his hand cupped her cheek and she relaxed her head slightly into his support as she met his approaching mouth.

She turned her body towards him during this kiss, easing the twisting position of her neck. She reached out to him as their lips pressed and held, her hand sliding along his bare forearm bent between them as he cupped her cheek. The table still partly between them, her other hand landed only on the cool metal surface, in sharp contrast with her other fingers resting on the warmed texture of his arm, her touch sliding through hair and over a smooth scar hidden on the back of his forearm. But, those details existed in the background compared to the kiss, his breath mixing with hers as their lips parted and then caught one another again.

The last of the still soft light kisses held longest and as they parted, she lifted her hand from the table and reached up to touch her fingertips against his cheek. As she pulled back, her eyes dropping to her fingers just next to his lips, she felt the new warmth inside that was far more enjoyable than that under which she had lain all day. This warmth rose from inside, filling her chest, her limbs, fingers and toes with soft delight and feelings of relief, pleasure and excitement.

His palm turned against her cheek, the backs of his fingers sliding up and down her cheek, to drop from her jaw to once more lightly stroke over her closest shoulder.

She sighed and licked her lips again, storing the new taste that was him. Her lips buzzed with sensation, reliving the kisses even as she pulled back from him to look up at his face more clearly.

His soft smile reflected her own, as his hand slid across her back. The shiver passed through her at the sliding caress.

"Cold?" He asked, his voice deeply soft.

"No," she replied honestly, smiling at the warmth infused throughout her body. From the touch of amusement and new sparkle to his eyes, he had understood the source of her shiver and he slid his fingers back across her shoulders again. She closed her eyes and took in the sensation.

Around the pier, the waves crashed gently against the edges of the city in a constant relaxing sound that she became more aware of as she enjoyed his caress. High above she could hear the calls of sea birds, frustrated to be unable to see the landing points of the cloaked city that they sensed. A world of sound in the background to her inner warmth and her enjoyment of his touch.

There were words to be shared, a conversation to be started, but for now the simple nature of sitting here with John, his touch caressing over her skin with a subtle hesitation as if he were still unsure it would remain welcome.

She opened her eyes to him, his eyes on her wide and appreciative. She had spent most of today lying with her eyes closed, absorbing the feel and sounds of the world around her, but had not seen much. She wondered if he had been looking at her like this all of today without her having noticed.

She looked into his eyes, really looking for the first time. She had known this man for six years now, had stood beside him against death and destruction, but only now did she feel that she was actually seeing him properly. And that he let her see him this way was a gift, and made her feel a flush of momentary vulnerability as he gazed back at her. She kept her eye contact with him though and he smiled at her, with a touch of embarrassment, as such moments could create, but there seemed honest pleasure as well. She smiled back.

"Surprised?" He asked, the brutal openness they had just experienced dimming back to a more normal distance, but she still felt the new connection they had shared in that moment. His hand on her back was still now, but resting fully against her skin, creating a patch of warmth against the rising chill of the air.

"Happily so," she replied honestly.

He nodded as he smiled at her reply. She enjoyed the dark sparkling nature to his eyes that seemed slightly nervous in an endearing way.

"Especially as rumour has it that you have been seeing Natalie Froud," she teased him.

She had not believed the rumours for a second, for he would have said something to the group, or spent less time with them as he had on a few occasions when there had been a woman around. Those times had been very infrequent with John, and when they had he had seemed to have chosen women who were not remaining in the city for very long or during one of the trips back to Atlantis on the Daedalus as on one occasion. Teyla had never before allowed herself to feel the touch of jealousy that she now permitted herself to feel a little to think of other women with John, for now she felt she had some right to feel that way.

She felt even better when he frowned in confusion at her. "Natalie who?" He asked.

"Natalie Froud. She has worked in the biochemistry lab for the past two years," Teyla informed him. She set her right elbow on the table, her back to the lowering sun now, as she rested her chin in her hand, turned towards John. His fingers slid across her back to her shoulder as she turned towards him. He was still looking thoughtful.

"Redhead?" He asked.

"Yes," Teyla confirmed for him.

His surprise shifted into an amused smile now, his gentle caresses around her shoulder resuming.

"Last one I heard, was that I was seeing Julie Laney," John continued, glancing away to where the Laney sisters had been previously.

Teyla smiled. "I had heard that one too," she replied. She could get very used to his close presence, his lingering soft caresses over her skin.

"She's just flirty by nature," John explained as that would explain away the rumourmongers.

Teyla smiled at him. "Then Rodney was correct, that Julie had 'hit on you'."

He gave a half shrug by way of answer, clearly a little uncomfortable in the answer, as he usually was on such matters, but there was a new reason now between them. Teyla just smiled widely at him.

"And you managed to walk away? I am impressed," she teased, though part of her wondered if he had just walked away.

John looked overly smug for a moment, as if he had been praised for having survived some amazing daring feat. "It was tough," he replied, playful in a new way.

"I am sure that it was," Teyla added, the jealousy stirring again at the thought.

She could not recall ever feeling jealous quite this way before. Jealousy was not an emotion that she experienced often. She certainly could not recall feeling it so intensely for a man for many years, perhaps not since she had been much younger and in love for the first time. She steered her thoughts away from the suggestion of a conclusion there and back onto the subject of Atlantis' rumour mill.

"Truth is largely unimportant to the nature of gossip," she stated and he nodded.

"Though," he began, his eyes lowering to his fingers sliding along the top of her shoulder "there are enough eyes out here still to start some new rumours about us."

She smiled at that, and at the way his eyes rose back up to hers, the dark centres wider again and holding the playful sparkle. "'New' rumours?" She asked taking the bait he had obviously before her.

He shrugged as his fingers trailed back out to her shoulder joint, moving around and down her upper arm once more. "The first year in the city, we were apparently seeing each other," he informed her with that playful smile, which she returned.

"I had heard that one myself," she replied.

He nodded. "I'm guessing the one about you and Woolsey isn't true either?"

She glared at him accusingly. "There is no such rumour, you made that one up," she accused him with a smile.

He chuckled in response. "There might be, you wouldn't know."

"Ronon would tell me," she responded.

"He doesn't tell you everything. Did he tell you about him and Keller back before Rodney?" He asked.

"No, but like you, I saw for myself Ronon's interest in her," she replied.

"He tell you about Amelia?" He asked.

"No, I heard of them through a friend," she answered him truthfully. "He kept their growing interest quiet for some time." She reflected for a moment on the still relatively new relationship between Ronon and Amelia. They seemed well matched and she knew that Ronon had taken time to find another woman to share time with, following his loss back on Sateda. "It is good that he has someone," she remarked quietly.

"Yeah," John replied. His fingers now glided along the front of her shoulder. "And on that subject," he began, drawing her eyes back to his. He took a breath before he continued. "How do you feel about maybe spending some more time with me? Dating?"

He had asked it casually, but the situation and his touch was all enough proof that his question was far from casual. She felt the thrill again, to know that he was offering something that she had imagined and considered forever unlikely. She licked her lips as she pretended to consider the question.

She lifted her eyes to his waiting ones, and she could see that he was nervous though he tried to hide it from her.

"I would like that," she replied as she smiled at him.

His returning smile held considerable relief before he leant in towards her again. This time she leant forward more eagerly, the memory of his kiss luring her in and the chance to experience this with him, knowing of the intention behind it for sure now.

The breeze against her back, carrying the new coolness of the fast approaching evening, was forgotten as she pressed her lips to his. She lost herself to this new warmth that flowed out from her middle in delight, its power far deeper than that of the sun now setting behind her.

Once again she surrendered herself to the experiences of touch and sound only, the waves crashing, the birds calling and his breath against hers, as she tasted a new gift in her life and wondered where it would take her.

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END


End file.
